Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-28
rhe Modern Mecca.

.Dwellers in San Francisco have
been very confident that the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
system was to oe extended at once to
the Bay City. The managers OF this
great enterprise state most positively
that they have no such intention, but
that it will be long time before any
forward movement is made to reach
that goal with their own lines. This
simply means that Los Angeles, and,
through this city, Southern Califor-
mia, is the objective point OF their
aims. Like all others, the managers
of this great enterprise find the Mecca
of all their aspirations here. lncom-
prehensible as such a fact may be to
those not conversant with this Sec
ton, to those who do know the potent
reasons for such policy, 1t is all
plain as daylight. 1t is to Southern
California that all the country has
turned their eyes, and hitherward
they are directing their steps. The
great tide OF tourist and OF immigra-
ton travel here finds its rest. All
the great excursion combinations
have their headquarters and their
terminal point in the good City OF the
Angels. Thessgrowth OF the State in
the last six years has been nearly all
in this southern section, fact which
is a matter of record in the vote cast
at the State election last fall. We
proudly claim the whole southern
part of the State as identical with Los
Angeles in all peculiar interests.
Taking this valley as the index OF
what is one day TO be the State OF
South G alifornia, and We find that to
the far seeing it is most evident
that here is now crowding an immi-
grafton the like oi which has never
been known in the history OF the
world, and with this influx OF people
characterized by wealth, refinement
and enterprise, naturally comes de-
velopment as remarkable as the
cause which calls it forth. From San
Gorgonio pass to the ocean is dis
tauce of somewhat over sixty miles
as the bird flies. From Santa Monica
canon to San Juan Capistrano is
about an equal stretch. This valley
is protected at all points, except
along the sea. by a range Of noun
tains with a horseshoe curve. 1t
contains more than 5000, 900 acres of
the best land the sun locks down
upon in his course around the globe.
That sun shines on this valley with
more benefcent smiles than he be-
slows on any other section of the
earth. Twenty years from to-day it
is quite within the range of the prob
able that there will be housed here
close upon round million Of souls.
When that day comes the city OF Los
Angeles will be in all respects supe
rior to the San Francisco of to-day.
The managers of the great railroad
see this, and for this they are pre-
pairing.
The ignorant may ask how all this
population is TO subsist. As an ex-
ample, take ten acres of grapes such
as raisins are made OF. In full de-
velopment they will yield five to
eight tons to the acre. Ii cured in
the sweat-boxes by the owner and
then sold to the packer they
will pay him S25 to $50 per ton.
The gross result will be 5000 to $240
per acre, or 5000 0 to S24O0 for the ten
acre vineyard. To reap this harvest
there will not be work enough to do
during the year on that place to bur-
don one man. Planting the vines
eight to ten feet apart, as they should
be, the number OF vines will be be-
tween 1000 and 5000. The pruning
will require three weeks work for
one man. This may be done during
December. During the spring two
plowings and two cultivatings will
occupy man and horse about two
weeksHn all, during the months be-
tween January and May. There will
be few extra days to spend irrigat-
ing and taking off the shoots that
spring up around the roots. On or
about the first day of May he folds
his hands, his summers work all
done, and sits down to wait for the
crop to ripen, in October and .Novem-
Der. To pick and cure the eighty
tens Of grapes will require some ex-
lrn help. II the owner have couple